Candle And Lanterns' Light
by Alicorn
Summary: Somewhere on the neverending quest lays the path of legends..or not. An ongoing collection of SJ inspired drabbles of all tones and unlimited 'what ifs'. Some crossovers with Powerpuff Girls.
1. Jack

****_Author's Note: I am new to the SJ fandom. Some drabbles in future updates will have crossover elements and all matter of AU 'what ifs'. Nothing is meant too seriously, please enjoy :)_

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><p><strong>Once Gifted<strong>

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><p>Skitter- pat, skitter-pat.<p>

Along the dusty road, for the better part of a mile… the sound.

The Samurai known as Jack had felt the sound when it was but a whisper, with no more strength than the falling of a leaf from a low hanging brush.

Now that it was embodying the rumble of the sea behind his own noiseless footsteps, he could give it polite avoidance no longer.

He turned.

The massive herd of deer, horses, and assorted four legged alien pack animals stopped as one with a puzzled blink.

"I am sorry, I have no apples today."

Many nations away, the people of a small town would report that the wind that day sounded very like a disappointed sigh.


	2. Aku & Jack

** Settlement**

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><p>The unforgiving sun beat down on their bodies.<p>

Shadow drew no heavy breath, even while tanned flesh beaded with sweat.

Jack raised his blade for the final blow, even as Aku raised his hand.

"Wait Samurai, surely we may come to some agreement?"

"Perhaps you are right." Jack replied, covering his rippled physical assets to the sorrow of many onlookers. "We must settle this in the way of men!"

Long did all remember the two Xbox 360 controllers they picked up that day.


	3. Aku & Him

**Narcissus**

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><p>Humming, the endless humming.<p>

Red eyes narrowed over large black bags.

Aku sighed.

The humming of electronics under the darkened rock floor, running with a veined webbing of red led lighting, glowed against his deflated looking green cheek.

Normally the humming didn't even register.

On any other day thoughts of how to kill a certain human were more than enough to keep the silence and boredom of his cybernetic world at bay.

This was not one of those days..This was quite another.

"_Well well, what do we have here?_" A high whisper of a voice asked, glossed black heels clicking to a rest level with his white nose.

"_Leave Aku. Leave Aku to die._" He mumbled.

"Oh nooow, what sort of attitude is _that_? I swear, _every_ tiiiime."

"Aku, would rather not speak of it. Leave me Unnamed One, leave me here so I may _die_ with dignity at the Samurai's blade."

Two large red lobster claws appeared under his arms in a puff of pink smoke, their owner sighing.

" _**'I, I** would** rather noooot**'_ will you ever _stop_ speaking like you haail from the age of the spears and mastodons? **_Get up_**!"

Aku grumbled flopping like a sack of potatoes where Him had moved him upward to the black throne , standing now beside it in his full size demon form.

"There, isn't thaaat better?" Him purred, leaning toward his face. "Now close your eyes and maaake a wish!"

Aku's red eyes hastily glanced away as a small dot of flame at the tip of Him's claw danced before his eyes. The rumbling flare of his eyebrows suddenly re-lighting filling the high ceiling.

"Whatever would you do if I wasn't the _only being_ in existence _strong_ enough to _fliiick your bic_?"

Aku sighed, reaching for a piece of cold pizza beside his evil vigil.

"Live a very peaceful, short, and _silent_ life, Aku is certain."

Him smiled, making a tsking motion as his form faded from view into a pink time portal.

"Only once every hundred years and still so testy! Remember our deal oh kiiiing of your shadows..and mind you also **_remember my flowers_** this time tomorrow!"

Aku sighed, suddenly missing the feeling of the cold floor and the endless hum.


	4. Professor & Aku

**Skill Level**

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><p>The box of clear plastic glared in a ban of metallic horror, almost blinding the man to its contents. But Professor Utonium's bright black eyes would not be so easily swayed. Even if-<p>

"Ow! She hit me!"

His brow turned downward in a driven wrinkle, the silvery claw hovered over the lifeless mound. Slow and stead-

"Professooor! Buttercup hit me!"

The white lab coated back slumped, slowly, dangerously.

"Girls. Do you want these or not?" Came the whisper.

"Ow! Hey, Blossom hit me first!"

He sighed, glancing down at the toy just beyond his grasp.

Memories of the stories his father retold again and again each bedtime until a much younger himself had taken to swinging a stick sword around the bedroom, filling the air with sloppy kanji laced homework papers like fleshly slayed snow.

_Jack_.

He paused, looking down at the tiny plastic mold in his long, squared fingers.

_A fairy tale._

And now, a tv show stealing the easily swayed minds of six year olds in the real Townsville, even years later. All because they had shown their town defeated in an episode.

The Professor shook his head with a smile, catching a look at the three wide eyed little girls roughhousing around a gumball machine.

They even wanted to save a _pretend_ Townsville if they could.

He turned, biting down on his lip and pushing the polished red button with a resounding palm slam.

A smile grew across his face, replaced just as quickly with an icy business like tone.

"Alright, that's it! If you two girls can't get along you know the rule..._no one_ gets her toy!"

He nodded with a proud air, pushing the dolls into waiting small hands as Bubbles gasped through a cheek full of freshly liberated gum.

"Aww, but Professor, _I_ wanted Aku..." Buttercup's disheartened whine faded as they trotted on to sporting goods, the beginning of a well known theme finding its way from electronics into their father's already throbbing head.

_Maybe every story needed a real Jack after all._

Professor sighed, imagining the tranquility of an epic journey that didn't pass by the lady giving out free samples of new Lucky Captain Rabbit King Charmies.


End file.
